Kosmos

Culture, travel, fashion and culinary delights: the Kosmos pages of Lufthansa Magazin bring you interesting and useful tidbits from around the world

CULTURE CLASH

Tea was a cult beverage long before the modern prevalence for all things “cult.” To this day, the rules for the correct way to take one’s tea vary from country to country.

Japan

Relaxing? Eminently. The Japanese have known about the effect of green tea since ancient times. The tea ceremony, a sequence of complex, meditative rituals, was developed círca 800 C.E.

Great Britain

A question of class? Afternoon tea was once the preserve of the upper crust and is still celebrated in luxury hotels around the world. The principal elements are strong black tea with milk, sandwiches and scones.

India

No standing on ceremony, here: Indian Masala chai is drunk anytime and everywhere. The list of ingredients includes strong Assam tea, milk, spices and oodles of sugar.

Aim for the sky

Who says you need mountains to go climbing? There are plenty of alternatives in the shape of spectacular climbing walls on churches, dams and the cooling towers of nuclear power plants.

Awesome walls

Built 150 years ago, St. Alban’s Church in Liverpool, England, inspires aspiration to other spheres. Today, visitors no longer come here to pray, but to climb its venerable walls, including an overhanging 17.5-meter lead wall.

Powerful thrill

The cooling tower of the former nuclear reactor in Kalkar, Germany, stands 58 meters high and has been repurposed as a climbing wall. If you prefer a different kind of thrill, there’s a roller coaster next door.

Head in the clouds

Surrounded by authentic Alpine peaks, the steep wall of the Lago di Luzzone reservoir in Switzerland offers a unique challenge: It is the world’s highest artificial climbing wall with 650 holds over a vertical distance of 163 meters.

Stylish safari

The Okavango Delta covers more than 20 000 square kilometers and is home to a staggering variety of species, including elephants, lions, hippos and leopards. Stylish, sustainable Sandibe Lodge with its twelve luxurious wooden chalets is in the middle of the great outdoors.

Snap Touch

Win one of five digital instant cameras by cult brand Polaroid. The digital camera allows you to snap, print, and share all of your favorite photos instantly with app-driven creative & new Bluetooth connectivity.

If you would like to take part in the draw, please send an email with “Polaroid” in the subject line to lhmagazin@territory.de. The deadline for entries is August 31. We will notify you by email if you win.

High flyer

The Roosevelt Island Tramway, an aerial tramway that connects the largely car-free district of Roosevelt Island with Manhattan, was supposed to be a temporary line until the subway under the East River was completed. Work on the subway was delayed and New Yorkers loved the tram so much that they refused to give it up – much to the delight of many tourists.